Russia reserves the right to deliver preventive strikes at
any targets that pose
a threat to us, with tactical nuclear weapons being an
option in such strikes.
--Russian defense analyst *Alexander Pikayev*, on the
possibility of
Russia targeting U.S. missile defense sites in Eastern Europe.
<http://www.nti.org/d_newswire/issues/2006_9_22.html#6CACFD7C>
Russia's going to use tactical nukes on any target it
perceives as threatening it. Like duh ... who wouldn't?
Fortunately Russia's not the USA and won't be excoriated by
their allies for their dubious strategy of pre-emption.
I'm sure every one of the US planners knew that Russia would
have to respond this way. We obviously knew Russia would
add sites to its Eastern Europe target list. The point of
missile defense is not in the absurd threat of first strike
but in its use against wild-cards like accidental or
terrorist launches. Both sides know this. Russia's response
is natural. Yet headlined this way, it looks like a threat
rather than an expected strategic announcement.
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